Beever-Jones shines and Terland hits hat-trick as women’s sevens tournament delivers 35-goal opening day at Gtech Community Stadium
Chelsea Women served notice of their title intentions on the opening day of the World Sevens Football London Edition on Thursday, sweeping through their two group matches with maximum points to sit top of Group 1 after a breathless day of football at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium.
Aggie Beever-Jones was the standout performer across the day, netting twice against Everton before turning creator against Leicester City with three assists — a display that underlines why the England forward has become one of the most exciting players in the women’s game. Head coach Sonia Bompastor said the format brought out exactly the qualities she wants to see from her squad. “The mentality I want my players to have is being brave on the pitch, taking some initiatives, and this format is great for that reason,” the French coach said.
The most dramatic contest of the day came from Manchester United, who edged West Ham 5-4 in a match that broke the all-time W7F record for goals in a single game. Norwegian striker Elisabeth Terland was the driving force, completing a hat-trick to top the tournament’s scoring charts at the end of day one. Manager Marc Skinner, whose side became the first team to appear at two editions of the tournament following their participation in Estoril earlier this year, said the players’ enthusiasm for the competition was plain to see. “The energy, the vibe, everything — you can see the players love it,” he said.
Aston Villa rounded off the evening in similarly spectacular fashion, defeating Tottenham Hotspur 6-3 in the day’s second nine-goal thriller to give tournament organisers exactly the kind of opening statement the competition needed.
Across six matches, 35 goals were scored — a figure that speaks to the frenetic, attack-minded nature of the seven-a-side format, which has quickly built a reputation for drama and entertainment since W7F launched in Estoril in May 2025.
The tournament, which is also using its London platform to distribute community grants totalling up to $10,000 among local girls’ football charities nominated by each competing club, continues on Friday with the group stage concluding before Saturday’s final day, when a group of local schoolgirls will also have the opportunity to play on the Gtech pitch as part of the tournament’s Rising Sevens initiative.